Page 89 of Filthy Hot

“Afraid?”

I hate that she’s practically forcing me to say the words out loud. I don’t know her very well yet, so I don’t want to ruin whatever this is that we’re building together. We’re the women of these men, and they’re family to one another.

“That he’ll cheat.”

It’s not a question, more like a statement. I need to know this, and I hate that I do it all at the same time. But Shawn doesn’t seem upset by my question at all. Her fingers flex around my wrist, and she smiles at me before she answers.

“It’s not the availability that makes someone cheat. People cheat for a myriad of reasons, and any person can and does do it. So no, I’m not any more worried about Elvis than I would be anyone else in my life.”

I love that.

“You’re right,” I say. “Anyone can, and they do cheat. But what about the fact that they’ve been with them before?”

Shawn hums. “You weren’t a virgin when you met Gnaw, were you?”

“No,” I say. She knows damn well that I wasn’t. She’s just trying to make a point. “I get it,” I whisper.

“That goes with the past stuff.”

She’s right. Of course she’s right, plus, I don’t know if Rider is ever going to let me out of his sight again. It’s not like he even has the time to cheat. Shawn releases her grasp on my wrist, andI pick up the frosting-stuffed chocolate chip cookie, lifting it to my lips and closing my eyes as I take a big bite.

I do not know how this woman bakes this way. She’s seriously gifted. The next hour, we eat baked treats and chat. I also buy some pastries for Rider. I’ve discovered that this man of mine has a sweet tooth around two in the morning—and not just for me.

“Are you coming to the party tonight?” I ask as I’m gathering my things to leave, including two pink boxes of sweet treats for later.

One for Rider and the other for Ophelia.

I’ve officially moved out of the motel, and she’s said more than once that she misses me, so I thought I would take some pastries over to her and play cards or something. It’s time that I see her and hang out. I really love Ophelia, and she was one of the first kind faces who I came across here in Pineville.

Shawn gives me a smile. “I am. We have a babysitter and everything.”

“Mom and Dad’s night out,” I say.

She laughs, waving toward me. I leave the bakery and step up beside my man. “You ready, baby?” Rider asks.

“I’m ready,” I state.

He stops and looks down at me. His eyes widen at the boxes before he reaches for them. Rider slips them from my palms and carries them beside me. Together, we make our way toward my car. I don’t say a word about the desserts or the clubwhore thing when he asks me what Shawn and I were doing in her shop.

“Girl talk,” I state simply. It’s true, too. That’s what we did, girl talk.

He doesn’t question me further. Instead, he guides the car straight for the motel, and I can’t help but smile. An afternoon with Ophelia and an evening with my man and his friends at a wild party.

Although, I honestly wouldn’t care where I was as long as Rider was with me. I love him, and I love the way he makes me feel. This life with him is special—I can feel it throughout my entire body.

GNAW

“I never thoughtthat I’d be living in what is essentially an overgrown frat house,” Kyle announces as she hangs up her last shirt.

She’s not wrong. That’s exactly what this is. Leaning my back against the headboard, I lift my arms, lacing my fingers and placing my hands against the back of my head. I watch as she closes the closet door and then slowly turns to face me.

“It is just that. We’ll get our own place soon. A lot of shit is going down right now, and I want you here with me where it’s safe.”

Kyle doesn’t argue. In fact, she hasn’t argued at all about my demand of being within view of her at all times. And I mean all the fucking time. I watch as she moves toward me, climbing onto the bed, then bending at the waist as she places her palms on the mattress and begins to crawl up my body, her thighs spread and her knees on either side of my legs as she does.

When she’s straddling my hips, she shifts herself forward before her lips touch mine in a gentle kiss. Kyle keeps her mouth against mine as she speaks. She’s almost sitting upright as her lips touch mine, and as much as I want to deepen the kiss, I’m going to give her this moment… but probably only this moment.

Then I’ll take control.

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